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Enrolled Version - Final Version (2) Senate Bill 336 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
ENROLLED

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

Senate Bill No. 336

(Senator Bowman, original sponsor)

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[Passed March 20, 2010; in effect ninety days from passage.]

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AN ACT to amend and reenact §20-2-5a and §20-2-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to forfeiture and restitution by persons causing injury or death to game, protected species of animal or private game farm animals; adding additional replacement value for antlered deer based upon antler spread; increasing the forfeiture amount for illegally taken game fish or fish of a protected species; clarifying forfeiture procedures and costs; ordering restitution for private game farm animals; creating a new crime; and providing for criminal penalties.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-5a and §20-2-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-5a. Forfeiture by person causing injury or death of game or protected species of animal; additional replacement costs for antlered deer; forfeiture procedures and costs.

(a) Any person who is convicted of violating a criminal law of this state that results in the injury or death of game, as defined in section two, article one of this chapter, or a protected species of animal, in addition to any other penalty to which he or she is subject, shall forfeit the cost of replacing the game or protected species of animal to the state as follows:
(1) For each game fish or each fish of a protected species taken illegally other than by pollution kill, $10 for each pound and any fraction thereof;
(2) For each bear or elk, $500;
(3) For each deer or raven, $200;
(4) For each wild turkey, hawk or owl, $100;
(5) For each beaver, otter or mink, $25;
(6) For each muskrat, raccoon, skunk or fox, $15;
(7) For each rabbit, squirrel, opossum, duck, quail, woodcock, grouse or pheasant, $10;
(8) For each wild boar, $200;
(9) For each bald eagle, $5,000;
(10) For each golden eagle, $5,000; and
(11) For any other game or protected species of animal, $100.
(b) In addition to the replacement value for deer in subsection (a)(3), the following cost shall also be forfeited to the state by any person who is convicted of violating any criminal law of this state and the violation causes the injury or death of antlered deer:
(1) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 14 inches or greater but less than 16 inches, $1,000;
(2) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 16 inches or greater but less than 18 inches, $1,500;
(3) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 18 inches or greater but less than 20 inches, $2,000; and
(4) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 20 inches or greater, $2,500.
(5) Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of any criminal law of this state which violation causes the injury or death of antlered deer is subject to double the authorized range of cost to be forfeited.
(c) Upon conviction, the court shall order the person to forfeit to the state the amount set forth in this section for the injury or death of the game or protected species of animal. If two or more defendants are convicted for the same violation causing the injury or death of game or protected species of animal, the forfeiture shall be paid by each person in an equal amount. The forfeiture shall be paid by the person so convicted within the time prescribed by the court not to exceed sixty days. In each instance, the court shall pay the forfeiture to the Division of Natural Resources to be deposited into the License Fund- Wildlife Resources (3200) and used only for the replacement, habitat management or enforcement programs for injured or killed game or protected species of animal.
§20-2-7. Hunting, trapping or fishing on lands of another; damages and restitution.

(a) It is unlawful for any person to shoot, hunt, fish or trap upon the fenced, enclosed or posted lands of another person; or to peel trees or timber, build fires or do any other act in connection with shooting, hunting, fishing or trapping on such lands without written permission in his or her possession from the owner, tenant or agent of the owner.
(b) Any person who hunts, traps or fishes on land without the permission of the owner, tenant or agent of the owner is guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to the owner or person suffering damage for all costs and damages for: (1) Killing or injuring any domestic animal, fowl, or private game farm animal; (2) cutting, destroying or damaging any bars, gates or fence or any part of the property; or (3) leaving open any bars or gates resulting in damage to the property.
(c) Restitution of the value of the property or animals injured, damaged or destroyed shall be required upon conviction pursuant to sections four and five, article eleven-a, chapter sixty-one of this code. The restitution ordered for private game farm animals shall be equivalent to or greater than the replacement values for deer listed in section five-a in this article.
(d) The owner, tenant or agent of the owner may arrest a person violating this section and immediately take him or her before a magistrate. The owner, tenant or agent of the owner is vested with the powers and rights of a conservation officer for these purposes. The officers charged with the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter shall enforce the provisions of this section if requested to do so by the owner, tenant or agent of the owner, but not otherwise.
(e) The provisions of subsections (b) and(d) of this section related to criminal penalties and being subject to arrest are inapplicable to a person whose dog, without the person's direction or encouragement, travels onto the fenced, enclosed or posted land of another in pursuit of an animal or wild bird: Provided, That the pursuit does not result in the taking of game from the fenced, enclosed or posted land and does not result in the killing of domestic animals or fowl or other damage to or on the fenced, enclosed or posted land.
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